Procurement

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the name is of each company with which his Department has a contract; what the monetary value of each such contract is; and what is provided to his Department under the terms of the contract;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on taking into account when assessing tenders submitted for departmental contracts the (a) apprenticeship schemes, (b) policies on employment of paid interns and (c) policies of payment of at least the living wage of each bidding company.

Brandon Lewis: The information about the Department's live contracts over the value of £20,000 with suppliers name, monetary values and a brief description of the contracts has now been deposited in the Library of the House. A substantial number of the contracts were signed under previous Administrations.
	We have been unable to provide details of contracts that may have been awarded with a value of less than £20,000 as locating, retrieving and extracting all of that expenditure would have been at a disproportionate cost.
	However as part of the Government's Transparency agenda, the Department is publishing all contracts awarded over the value of £10,000 (from January 2011) on the Contracts Finder website at
	www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
	Moreover, as part of my Department's broader transparency agenda, we are currently taking steps to start publishing online new contracts over £500.
	On assessing tenders for departmental contracts, our policy is to consider whether apprenticeships, living wage and use of interns are relevant to the purpose of the contract and therefore to be included within evaluation criteria on a case by case basis.

Afghanistan

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Helmand Province; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: Afghan and international forces operating in Helmand continue to make tangible progress. Following the launch of the third tranche, nine of the 14 districts in Helmand have begun the transition process, including all three districts within Task Force Helmand—the UK's area of operations.
	Violence levels are down in those districts where transition is already under way and is increasingly displaced from the province's key population centres where the majority of Helmand is live.
	This is a clear demonstration of the growing capability and confidence of the Afghans to effectively manage their own security now and in the future once the International Security Assistance Force has completed its mission when parts of Helmand Province are likely to remain contested.
	Challenges remain, and there is still work to be done, but unmistakable progress has, and continues, to be made; as security takes root, markets and schools are opening, creating new opportunities for the Afghan people.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK (a) military and (b) other personnel (i) have been and (ii) are deployed under Common Foreign and Security Policy or Common Security and Defence Policy operations; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 18 September 2012
	The UK has personnel, both military and civilian currently deployed on a number of missions and operations as part of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy activity. The current numbers for those operations and missions where the UK makes a contribution are as follows:
	EUTM Somalia—EU training of Somali national security forces: two military;
	Op Althea Bosnia—EU training and executive security force: six military;
	EUCAP NESTOR—Regional maritime capacity building in the Horn of Africa: two civilians;
	EULEX Kosovo—Executive and mentoring activity in the rule of law: 37 civilians;
	EUMM Georgia—EU monitoring mission focused on 12 August and 8 September 2008 ceasefires: 17 civilians;
	EUPOL Afghanistan—Training and mentoring of Afghan Ministry of Interior: 12 civilians;
	EUPOL COPPS West Bank—Support to the Palestinian Authority on wider rule of law issues: four civilians;
	EU JUST LEX Iraq—Strengthening Iraqi rule of law and respect for human rights: six civilians;
	EUSEC DRC—Supporting Congolese reform of their armed forces, working towards national security and social and economic development: three civilians.
	Details are not centrally held of UK military and other personnel deployed on previous CSDP missions and operations.
	The information will take time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Armed Forces: Germany

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the (a) up- front and (b) long-term costs associated with the re-basing of the elements of the armed forces based in Germany;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of long-term savings arising from the re-basing of those elements of the armed forces based in Germany.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 11 September 2012
	I refer the right hon. Member to the Statement made by the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) on 5 July 2012, Official Report, column 66WS, following which Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials continue to work on the optimum basing solution for the Army's return from Germany and the associated costs and savings.
	Detailed work into the financial savings to be made from the move of personnel from Germany to the UK is still ongoing. Once the rebasing is complete the Department currently expects to make savings in the region of £79 million, £95 million and £46 million on allowances, education and medical support respectively.
	We would also expect the Army's return from Germany to contribute significantly to the UK economy, since we estimate wages and other local costs of around £650 million per annum are currently spent in Germany. We expect the further work under way to refine these savings, and to determine the likely costs.

Assets

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets his Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has sold and leased back one building block in Bath over the past 12 months. The sale price was some £4 million, and there was no additional cost to the public purse of the short-term leaseback which enabled the building to be vacated in good order.

Nurseries

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many childcare places his Department provides on its estate; what the cost is of providing such places; how many such places his Department provided in 2010; what the cost was of providing such places in 2010; what plans he has for changes in the provision of such childcare places; and what the number of places will be once any such changes have been implemented.

Mark Francois: Child care is primarily the responsibility of local authorities and they have a remit to ensure that there is sufficient provision to meet the requirements of the parents in their area. However, it is Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s policy to encourage the development of affordable, quality child care provision for all MOD employees, both military and civilian, in the vicinity of its sites and bases.
	This has been delegated to Top Level Budget Holders and Agency Chief Executives who are responsible for assessing the demand for child care support and for funding and establishing its provision. Such schemes are usually managed locally, down to garrison or regimental level for units and military families.
	The detailed information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rate of inflation was used in the calculation of the necessary rise in the post-2015 defence budget needed to meet the 10-year equipment budget plan.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 7 September 2012
	The rate of inflation used in the Ministry of Defence calculations relating to the defence budget is the gross domestic product deflator forecast produced by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility. At the beginning of Planning Round 12 this was 2.7% for financial years from 2013-14 onwards.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Social Rented Housing

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were evicted from their homes as a result of breach of an anti-social behaviour order in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today to PQ 121387.

Charities

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on the (a) grant to and (b) use by registered charities of funding from her Department for the purposes of advocacy, lobbying or campaigning; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: As a matter of principle funding from DFID cannot be awarded to initiatives that involve direct lobbying of the UK Government or of international organisations of which the UK Government is a member. However, funding can be used by registered charities for advocacy work in developing countries where it is an integral part of projects delivering poverty reduction for poor people. This information is already in the public domain, for example in DFID funding guidelines.

Haiti

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to provide assistance to reduce the spread of cholera in Haiti.

Alan Duncan: DFID provided humanitarian assistance to Haiti in 2010-11 after the earthquake and to help fight cholera. This helped to reach a million people with food, shelter, clean water and medical care, including 200,000 people with cholera treatment and prevention.
	DFID does not have a bilateral aid programme in Haiti. Our contribution towards reconstruction and development, including water, sanitation and health care, is through our share of the programmes of multilateral agencies such as the World Bank, United Nations and European Union. This share amounts to around £70 million this year, including peacekeeping. My Department continues to monitor the situation in Haiti, but there are no plans to provide additional assistance.

Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the likely (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary to be paid by his Department in 2012-13.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	Table A shows the salaries for the Department for Work and Pensions excluding the Child Maintenance Group which integrated into the Department from 1 August 2012.
	Table B shows the salaries for the Department for Work and Pensions including the Child Maintenance Group.
	All figures relate to base salary and are estimates for 2012-13:
	
		
			 Table A 
			  2012-13 £ 
			 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) excluding the Child Maintenance Group Highest 184,250 
			  Median 18,897 
			  Median FTE 21,755 
			  Lowest 14,550 
		
	
	
		
			 Table B 
			  2012-13 £ 
			 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) including the Child Maintenance Group Highest 184,250 
			  Median 18,844 
			  Median FTE 21,680 
			  Lowest 14,550

Pensions Regulator

Jackie Doyle-Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the powers and responsibilities of the pensions regulator; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: Government continually monitors developments in pensions provision and the role the Regulator plays in delivering policy. As a case in point the Public Service Pensions Bill which was introduced on 13 September 2012 sets out a new role for the Pensions Regulator in relation to governance and administration of public service pension schemes. The proposed new role will as far as possible mirror the existing approach that the Regulator has for private sector schemes.
	In addition to the quarterly performance and budgetary review process the Department undertakes with the Regulator, this Government has introduced a requirement to review all arm’s length bodies at least once every three years. These Triennial Reviews will challenge whether the functions they perform are still necessary and if so whether it is still appropriate for them to be delivered in the same way. A Triennial Review of the functions of the Pensions Regulator will take place in due course.

Procurement

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on taking into account when assessing tenders submitted for departmental contracts the (a) apprenticeship schemes, (b) policies on employment of paid interns and (c) policies of payment of at least the living wage of each bidding company.

Mark Hoban: DWP policy is as follows:
	(a) It is mandatory to include an apprenticeship and skills schedule in DWP invitation to tender (ItT) documentation and suppliers are required to complete the schedule as part of the tendering process. However, compliance with the requirements of the schedule is a contract performance condition and as such the successful contractor must meet any requirements whilst delivering the contract. Therefore, compliance is not assessed at the tender evaluation stage. However, successful tenderers (and any subcontractors) are required to take all reasonable steps, during the course of their contract, to employ apprentices and to ensure 5% of employees are engaged on a formal apprenticeship programme. Thereafter, contractors are required to report on their compliance as a matter of routine.
	(b ) DWP ItT documentation does not incorporate any policy requirement relating to the employment of paid interns and is therefore not assessed during the tender evaluation stage.
	(c) DWP ItT documentation does not incorporate any policy requirement relating to the payment of a living wage and is therefore not assessed during the tender evaluation stage. However, all contractors and subcontractors are required to comply with UK minimum wage legislation.

Social Security Benefits: Stafford

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Stafford constituency were claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) incapacity benefit, (d) lone parents allowance, (e) carer's allowance and (f) other out-of-work benefits in the most recent month in 2012 for which data is available and in the corresponding month in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many people in Stafford constituency were claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) incapacity benefit, (d) lone parents allowance, (e) carer's allowance and (f) other out of work benefits in the most recent month in 2012 for which data is available and in the corresponding month in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Jobseekers Allowance Employment and Support Allowance Incapacity and Severe Disablement Allowance Income Support Lone Parents Carers Allowance Income Support others on income related benefits 
			 February 2012 1,550 1,280 1,730 600 690 880 
			 February 2011 1,570 920 2,150 600 660 1,050 
			 February 2010 1,710 680 2,380 640 610 1,130 
			 February 2009 1,700 240 2,720 640 570 1,230 
			 February 2008 890 (1)70 2,910 610 500 1,240 
			 (1) Incapacity Benefit was replaced by Employment Support Allowance (ESA) for new claims from October 2008. Data for ESA therefore is at November in 2008. The information is published on the Department's website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool Guidance for users is available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The out of work benefits which are included in this analysis are: Jobseekers Allowance Employment and Support Allowance Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance Carers allowance Income Support—Lone Parents Income Support—Others. The figures in the table will include overlaps as claimants can be entitled to more than one of the above benefits. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Sustainable Development

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to promote resource efficiency in the economy.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA recognises the importance of resource efficiency in addressing the significant pressures we face on energy, resources and the natural environment. Improving resource efficiency also helps business save money, become more competitive and benefit from rapidly growing global markets in green technology.
	Research for DEFRA estimates that around £23 billion of savings per year could be made through simple resource efficiency improvements. The potential is greater for longer term actions. Action makes good business sense. That is why some leading companies have taken significant resource efficiency measures to realise financial and reputation value through resource efficiency.
	However, as demonstrated by recent business surveys, many companies are yet to take action. So DEFRA works to. support businesses to realise these benefits, and is the one of the main funders of the Waste and Resources Action programme. Through this body we plan to deliver around £1.9 billion of benefits to business, local authorities and the wider public sector between 2011-15 from a range of programmes including best practice advice and support, voluntary agreements and loan funds.
	We work to ensure the regulatory framework supports action on sustainability, such as by providing a long-term signal through landfill tax and the development of clear consumer standards on Energy Using Products. We are also ensuring that the Government is more energy and water efficient, and generates less waste through our Greening Government Commitments. Mandatory baseline standards for procurement (the Government Buying Standards) also take into account whole-life costs of goods and services including energy and water use.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited more than (a) two and (b) four hours in Accident and Emergency at (i) Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals, (ii) Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, (iii) Barts Health London NHS Foundation Trust, (iv) Croydon Health Services NHS Trust and (v) Ealing Hospital NHS Trust in (A) 2010-11 and (B) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The total numbers of accident and emergency (A&E) attendances during 2010-11 and 2011-12 for the trusts covering the specified hospitals are shown in the following tables, together with figures showing duration to departure. Data for 2011-12 is provisional and therefore subject to change until the final annual publication of data.
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Trust name Total A&E attendances 0-120 minutes to departure 121-240 minutes to departure Over 240 minutes Unknown 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 179,386 42,269 120,025 17,090 2 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 151,551 37,475 110,071 4,005 — 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust 137,463 67,198 57,314 12,951 — 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 131,050 68,277 60,194 2,433 146 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 91,231 33,707 43,555 13,969 — 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 (provisional data) 
			 Trust name Total A&E attendances 0-120 minutes to departure 121-240 minutes to departure Over 240 minutes Unknown. 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 205,128 48,645 132,242 24,241 — 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 152,989 37,390 109,287 6,312 — 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust 137,157 71,432 59,249 6,476 — 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 132,682 62,566 65,552 4,396 168 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 54,750 13,516 38,719 2,515 — 
			 Notes: 1. Activity at A&E departments is recorded as the number of attendances. It should be noted that an individual person may attend the same or different A&E departments within any given year and therefore this does not represent the number of patients. 2. The total amount of time spent in the A&E department is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is discharged from A&E care. This includes being admitted to hospital, died in the department, discharged with no follow up or discharged—referred to another specialist department. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics collated by the NHS Information Centre.

Blood Diseases

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place in general hospital wards to recognise developing sepsis.

Daniel Poulter: Frontline health care professionals are routinely trained to recognise the early signs of severe sepsis and how to treat it. The Department supports the existing international guidance on the management of sepsis and used this to inform ‘Start Smart Then Focus’ guidance published in November 2011 which emphasises the importance of prompt treatment with antibiotics where there is clinical evidence of an infection. A copy has already been placed in the Library.

Electronic Cigarettes

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to regulate e-cigarettes; and what assessment he has made of the risks to public health posed by e-cigarettes.

Norman Lamb: There are a number of products on the market which claim to contain nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes, which are widely available but are not licensed medicines. Currently, any nicotine-containing product (NCP) which claims or implies that it can treat nicotine addiction is considered to be a medicinal product. This approach has allowed NCPs which do not make such claims to be used and sold without the safeguards built into the regulation of medicinal products.
	Electronic cigarettes are not currently regulated as medicines, which are required to meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy. In March 2011, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published the outcome of a public consultation on whether to bring all nicotine containing products within the medicines licensing regime. The response to consultation highlighted the need for further information to inform a decision. The MHRA is co-ordinating further scientific and market research with a view to making a final decision on the application of medicines regulation in spring 2013.
	At present, electronic cigarettes are covered by the provisions of the General Product Safety Directive and associated regulations. Some electronic cigarettes have been tested by local authority trading standards departments and have been found to pose a potential danger to consumers. The available data suggest that there can be great variability in the content of electronic cigarettes, both in the amount of nicotine present and also in relation to other potentially toxic substances, with potentially significant implications for public health given the increasing use of these products.